a most american confection

photo: red buckeye, ohio state university extension

the following confection is called buckeyes because it resembles the fruit of the ohio state buckeye tree of the united states. they are quite easy to prepare and depending on how many you want to make, you can easily adjust the recipe. they can be made with or without the flour addition but the flour, i find, adds a bit more stability to the fats from the peanut butter and the shortening or butter.

these are a great candy, or "bonbon" for those times when you need a sugar hit.

enough said.



buckeyes

a very american candy, these are hard to resist if you love peanut butter and chocolate. the recipe can be doubled and the fruits of your labour frozen, to be enjoyed over the next few weeks.

ingredients:

2/3 c smooth peanut butter [you may need a bit more]
3 1/2 tbsp shortening or margarine {or butter}
1/3 c AP flour [optional]
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar, at least 500 gm [1 lb]

1 pkg chocolate chips or enough couvreture chocolate to equal that amount
1 tbsp vegetable oil

method:

with an electric mixer, blend together the peanut butter, shortening or margarine {or butter} and vanilla.

when smooth, add the flour and blend.

add icing sugar by the HALF CUP and blend. add enough sugar until you get a mass which is thick like clay and from which you can make a ball which holds together nicely. it is hard to say how much icing sugar as i never really measure the amount; i just add enough until it is the right consistency. the picture below is only about at the half way point and needs more sugar to make a stiffer dough. it will also firm up some upon refrigeration.

when you have a mixture that is quite firm, test one to see if you need more sugar is needed. make a one inch ball and put it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes [refrigerate the dough while you wait]. if it is still squishy once it's well chilled, then you need to add some more icing sugar.

if the ball tests okay and you don't need more sugar, let it sit in the fridge for a good hour or two for it to firm up. make balls by rolling them into 1 inch sizes with your hands. they will not be sticky but feel oily from the peanut butter. place them on a cookie sheet or plate and then return them to the fridge.

note that the dough should have the consistency of modeling clay and will be a light beige [buff] colour. if you added too much icing sugar, you can add some more peanut butter to lighten it up. it is very forgiving.

prepare a cookie sheet to put the chocolate coated balls on.

melt your chocolate carefully and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. mix well. this is to add a sheen to the chocolate.

skewer each ball with a sturdy tooth pick or some other implement and dip each ball only partially into the chocolate. approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of each bonbon should be covered. place the balls on a cookie sheet and return them to the fridge to solidify.

these can be frozen for longer keeping.

enjoy!